Great Things

Great restaurant: Lee

Susur Lee opened up a tapas style place, Lee, next door to his high-end eatery, Susur. Pam and I had a great meal there last night. Particularly recommend the coconut soup and the coleslaw. Reminds us of our favorite Seattle restaurtant, Lark.

Inn at Langley - great meal

Pam and I spent an evening at the Inn at Langley last fall. The hotel was fine but the meal ranked as our favourite of 2004. I am usually not a big fan of the elaborate prix fixe meal because it is typically too long and too pretentious but this was an exception. The chef, Scott Costello, did a great job of presenting some of the best ingredients in the world, those of the Pacific Northwest, in a simple yet very creative way. I specifically remember the dismay that I felt when I saw pork bellies and duck breast of the menu. These are two items that I would never order but that were particularly delicious on that Saturday evening. The duck is the best I have ever had, not the least bit slimy or gamey. Simple and delicious. Thanks for a great meal Scott. If you are ever in the Seattle area, the trip to Langley is definitely worth it for dinner.

Great food: pesto

Made a killer pesto for dinner last night. The key differentiator here is the addition of mint. This stuff is great with a simple dish of pasta, on a do-it-yourself pizza, or as a sandwich spread. It keeps in the fridge for a week or for two months in the freezer (don't add the cheese until after freezing if you go this route).

2/3 cup fresh basil leaves
2/3 cup fresh parsley leaves
2/3 cup fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced and ground with 1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Dump all the ingredients in a food processor and hit it. Key tip on making it stick to the pasta a little better is to add 2 tablespoons of the pasta water to the pesto before mixing.